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Pakistan test-fires Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf reiterated on Friday that his country was capable of thwarting all threats to its sovereignty and nuclear capability, even as the Pakistan Army Strategic Force Command (ASFC) conducted a training launch of an intermediate ballistic missile.

The military said the launch of the nuclear-capable Ghauri, also known as Hatf 5, exactly a week after the test-launch of the medium-range Shaheen 1, was successful. The Ghauri has a range of 1,300 km.

General (Retd.) Musharraf, who witnessed the launch along with Army Chief General Parvez Kayani, said Pakistan had developed a strong deterrence capability.

“We have taken note of various imaginary scenarios being propounded by those who do not wish Pakistan well. Such elements have never reconciled to a nuclear Pakistan,” he said, a probable reference to reports about the possibility of Pakistan’s “loose nukes” falling into extremist hands and the rumoured U.S. plans to secure the country’s nuclear assets.

He said Pakistan was capable of thwarting all threats to its sovereignty and nuclear capability, and asked the officers and men entrusted with these weapons to continue training in order to maintain professional excellence.

The ASFC is a cutting edge unit of the National Command Authority that has overall control of Pakistan’s nuclear assets.

Along with a similar force in the Air Force and the Navy, it is trained to handle and operate nuclear weapons.

Gen. Musharraf said he was “pleased” that the ASFC had emerged as “a well-trained and cohesive” force in a short time. Pakistan’s command and control structure came up in 1999 and was formalised in 2000.

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